By: Grace Huff
In celebration of National Health Center Week (August 3–9), the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health is spotlighting the essential role community-based care plays in promoting brain health, education, and equity.
While Fixel is nationally recognized for its cutting-edge research and compassionate clinical care, its mission extends far beyond the walls of the clinic. Across Gainesville and North Central Florida, Fixel researchers and clinicians are working hand in hand with trusted community partners to make neurological education, screenings, and support services more accessible, especially for underserved and historically marginalized populations. Community-based care means bringing evidence-based brain-health services, including education, screening, and referral networks, directly into community settings.It ensures that interventions are both accessible and culturally attuned.
Partnerships Rooted in Trust
Through her Brain Health Equity and Dementia Prevention Lab, Shellie-Anne Levy, PhD, Assistant Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist at the Fixel Institute, and her team collaborate with local organizations such as the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, NAACP Alachua County Branch, Historic Thomas Center, Elder Options, ARTSPEAKSgnv, and the Alzheimer’s Association – Central and North Florida Chapter to deliver brain-health education and dementia-risk-reduction programming. These partnerships help bring free educational programs, cognitive screenings, and interactive seminars directly into the heart of the community. “Bringing brain health education directly into our communities ensures that everyone, regardless of background, has the tools to protect their cognitive well-being”, said Levy.
Similarly, Franchesca Arias, PhD, an Assistant Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist at the Fixel Institute, and her research lab, ANCLAR (exAmining Neurocognition in Context for heaLthy Aging and Resilience) are focused on bridging the gap between community priorities and academic knowledge to ensure that all persons can access culturally responsive care and education. Arias and the ANCLAR team closely collaborate with the Latina Women’s League of Gainesville, Children Beyond our Borders, Center for Independent Living in Gainesville, and the Marion Oaks Community Center, to co-lead cultural events that integrate cognitive and mental health components and lead cognitive enhancing initiatives in the community.
Arias’ initiatives are all delivered directly within community spaces, such as health fairs and local centers, in English and Spanish to increase accessibility and trust. Arias and the ANCLAR team’s work seeks to facilitate early detection, fosters timely intervention, and promotes long-term resilience through education, advocacy, and sustained community engagement.
Services Designed With and For the Community
One of the most impactful programs is the Neurocognitive Screening Initiative, spearheaded by Levy, which provides free monthly thinking and memory screenings to uninsured and underinsured adults. Established in 2018 through ongoing community outreach and collaboration with UF HealthStreet, this initiative alleviates socioeconomic barriers and offers actionable feedback and referrals, helping individuals take the first step toward addressing cognitive concerns. Community input is central to every initiative. Programs are often co-designed with partners and delivered in both English and Spanish to better meet community needs.
Since starting her tenure at the University of Florida, Arias has spearheaded two novel community-based initiatives. The most impactful program to date is SPARK (Sensory-based Program to Advance Brain Resilience and Knowledge), a 10-week program focused on educating community members about ways to enhance cognitive function through sensory stimulation and engagement in everyday activities. Established in 2024, Arias has manualized the intervention and adapted sensory-based exercises to meet the needs of neurodiverse persons.
SPARK is run bi-annually and has been delivered in community settings across North Central Florida. “The interest in the program, which has been spread via word of mouth and provider referrals, reflects the power of partnership. By working with trusted local organizations, we’re building a model of care that’s rooted in respect and shared purpose,” said Arias.
Over the past two years, Levy and Arias have joined forces with Melissa Armstrong, MD, MSc, FAAN, to lead monthly outreach coordination meetings, bringing together memory and movement disorder specialists, occupational therapists, neuropsychology graduate students, and research staff. Together, they collaborate on initiatives to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD) in underserved communities and promote cognitive resilience in community-dwelling adults.
Impact That Resonates
The most meaningful outcome of this work? Trust.
That trust is creating ripple effects. At Levy’s 2024 Steps to Brain Health seminar at the Clarence R. Kelly Community Center, one attendee shared how they began daily walks and blood pressure monitoring after learning about vascular risk factors. Their commitment inspired a follow-up discussion group at their church, transforming a participant into a peer educator.
“Trust is built through consistency, presence, and genuine commitment to health equity. Our outreach efforts are about showing up for the community, listening to their needs, and working alongside them to create solutions that last, said Levy.
Sustaining Community-Based Care
As Fixel and other institutions look to the future, sustaining and expanding outreach will require ongoing investment. Levy emphasizes the importance of:
- Establishing a Community Health Worker Advisory Board to amplify community voices in decision-making and ensuring programs remain responsive to local needs.
- Hiring and retaining diverse practitioners, ensuring the workforce reflects the communities served and brings culturally resonant perspectives to program design and delivery.
- Developing pathways to ensure low-cost care at Fixel is available for community members experiencing financial hardship, including the use of foundation funding to support access to essential services.
- Investing in faculty who lead community engagement, by providing protected time, dedicated funding, and clear pathways for career advancement to recognize and sustain their outreach and research efforts in underserved communities.
Arias adds:
- Recognizing the evolving nature of community priorities, it is essential to periodically revisit and adapt existing frameworks, with feedback from community members, to ensure programs remain responsive and relevant.
- Sustaining these efforts requires equipping community leaders and health workers with the skills to deliver cognitive health education and screenings to promote shared ownership and build local capacity.
- Engaging staff across all professional levels and disciplines will strengthen institutional support and promote sustainability.
During National Health Center Week and beyond, the Fixel Institute reaffirms its commitment to equity in brain health, advancing research, education, and care not just in clinics, but in communities.
Because everyone deserves access to brain health.
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